


Awakened Love

by NightlyMuse



Series: Tales of Prompts [1]
Category: Saint Seiya, 聖闘士星矢: 冥王神話 | Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas
Genre: Falling In Love, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, Sleeping Together, Sleepy Cuddles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-29
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2020-07-12 06:13:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19941526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightlyMuse/pseuds/NightlyMuse
Summary: No matter how much he tries to keep himself away from others, Albafica's heart still yearns for more. When he worries for the one who holds his heart he can't help but search out the Aries Saint.





	Awakened Love

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally posted on my tumblr from a drabble game using the situation "Right before a passionate/first kiss" and the sentence " “There’s nothing to be scared of, okay? I’m right here.” Please enjoy!

He didn’t consider himself to the worrying type of person, cautious yes but that was a trait that served him well as Pisces Saint, between battles and the poison that ran in his veins. Yet he was human and that meant many things, such as certain emotions surfacing when he was sure he had firmly locked them away. And despite his efforts of keeping others at length there were some that managed to push past the barriers. From the loud and wild Kardia who always dared to sneak up on him (Failing each time). The ever courteous Degel who was always mindful of his boundaries but always passed him books he that he thought Albafica might be interested in. To the kind Aldebaran who always made small talk when he spotted him, asking how he fared and how his gardens were. Even the thorn in his side that called himself Manigoldo managed to slip past and called him friend.

And then were was Shion, who stirred emotions in him with even the simplest action. A lingering presence when they spoke, a laugh when he made some small joke and so, truly fearless enough to visit him regularly enough for any reason. “I enjoy your company” the Aries Saint had explained once when he asked and Albafica could still remember the warmth that spread on his cheeks.

The last time he seen the other man, he had just returned from a trip to Jamir at the request on the Pope. Clearly tired, between his attempts to hide any yawns and the dark marks under his eyes but still kind and stayed for a small chat before he headed back down the path.

That had been several days ago and though he had seen the others plenty of times the Aries Saint was missing. At first Albafica had simply thought that the other was adjusting back to day-to-day life of Sanctuary, but there was a nagging feeling in the back of his heart. Had he fallen ill? Flus traveled easily enough, and a tired body could catch it easier. Had he overworked himself again? He remembered Degel storming up the path once, mumbling about “damn workaholics” and “shouldn’t push himself so hard.” With those thoughts storming inside and without any tasks that needed to be done immediately Albafica steeled himself and headed down towards the first temple.

Fortunately from him, he was a master of dodging the other inhabitants of the Zodiac Path, so the trop down was quick and quiet. Which pleased him enough, the last thing he wanted was to spark any rumors or teasing about something. Normally he would have announced himself when he entered another’s temple as well but considering how silent Aries Temple was when he reached the center chamber, he decided to skip the etiquette. Quiet and Aries Temple simply did not mix, like oil and water, between the sounds of the Cloth Smith at work or him fussing at Dohko or Kardia when those troublemakers bothered him.

No hammering, no shouting or laughter, nothing. It was almost unnerving, but he was determined.

He checked the library first, then the kitchens and Shion’s study, only to find them empty. The only place he thought to check last was the room Shion set aside to repair the Cloths. Briefly he thought of checking the Aries’ bedroom, but he quickly shoved that away.

‘I just hope he’s alright’ Albafica thought with a frown as he tapped his knuckles against the repair room door, noting it wasn’t completely closed. He expected to hear some sort of sound when he came close, a clank of metal or Shion’s quiet murmuring but he found the opposite. It was quiet, distant but clear enough for him to catch.

Begging, gasps, cries in a language he did not know.

“ _Shion_?” He jerked, calling out to the Saint louder than he intended as he shoved open the door and grimaced.

The repair room was always a bit of a mess but now it looked as if a twister can come through it. Several Bronze Cloths laid scattered around, in various pieces and stages of damage, fragments clustered together. The panicked sounds came again, louder now as he perked up, twisting his head towards the source.

“Shion?” He repeated, a bit louder as he looked over the room, stopping when he locked eyes on a pile of blankets that were tucked into a far corner, shifting. As he squinted his eyes Albafica could catch the faint sight of Shion’s pale hair between the blankets. Immediately, he stepped close and crouched down, calling out his’ friend’s name again as the other tossed in his makeshift bed.

“Shion? _You need to wake up_ ” He muttered, twisting one hand into his tunic as he pressed the other flat against the ground. He bit at a corner of his lip when the other didn’t respond, still trapped in a nightmare. “ _Shion please_ ” He called out louder before jerking back as Shion let out a strangled cry.

His heart twisted, oh how he wanted to reach out and shake the other awake, but he just _couldn’t_. Couldn’t risk harming another because of his carelessness.

He’d never forgive himself.

A blanket was tossed away reveling Shion’s tense and tear ridden face, his mouth mumbled words that he couldn’t hear or understand as he tossed his head.

‘Your blood is harmless if it’s all inside you’ Manigoldo had said once, when they were on a mission in Italy. ‘You shouldn’t be afraid to reach out man, it’s not healthy.’

Maybe the Cancer was right.

Albafica took a chance, as he swore under his breath and reached out to gently shake the Aries Saint by a shoulder. “Shion? Shion, come on, wake up. It’s me Albafica!” he said, trying his best to keep his voice even.

A gasp came from Shion, warm, brown eyes snapped open and he shot up causing Albafica to jerk backwards. The Aries touched along his arms and face until he settled one hand against his chest as he panted.

“Shion? Are you alright? Albafica managed to say after gasping at the sudden movement.

Shion twitched in his place, twisting his head to face him with wide eyes. “A-Albafica? How-why-gods forgive me! I didn’t mean to startle you” He said, voice cracking as he tried to slow down his breathing and process his sudden awakening.

The Pisces shook his head and waved a hand “Don’t apologize for anything, you couldn’t help having a nightmare.” Athena knew, it happened to them all at one point or another.

“I shouldn’t have dozed off in the first place. There’s too much to be done” The Cloth Smith groaned, leaning his back against the wall.

Albafica frowned and turned his head, leaning back to grab the glass bottle of water he spotted nearby and handed to the other. “We all need sleep Shion, it seems you have been working particularly hard lately” he replied. The Cloths he had spotted still had the telltale stains of battle and repair on them, chances were they had been in worse shape when they first arrived.

“You are too kind” Shion shuck his head, hair spilling out of the loose ponytail “These came to me two nights ago, I’ve been trying to repair them as quickly as I could.”

A thought entered Albafica’s mind when he heard those words and he gave the Aries a leveled look. “Please tell me you haven’t been pulling all night sessions?” he asked, voice low as Shion blinked and looked away, rolling the bottle in his hands.

“ _Shion_ ” He groaned and resisted the urge to rub at his face.

“What brings you here Albafica? Not that I mind you visiting, I’m just …surprised I suppose” He replied, still looking away.

“I- “Albafica began, mind whirling over to explain he was worried about the other before he shook his head, tsking. “Do not change the subject, I _will_ go get Degel if you don’t allow yourself to rest” he didn’t want to bring the Aquarius into this, but he couldn’t stand the idea of someone he cared for neglecting his health.

That however did catch Shion’s full attention as he straightened his back and tensed up, waving a hand as he looked back over to him, a slight look of panic on his face. “ _No need for that_! Perhaps a rest truly is in order! But there’s no reason to bother Degel about this” he said, laughing slightly.

Albafica smiled and nodded “How about I make some tea then? I’ll join you for a while.”

***

“Are you sure, you don’t need my help with anything?” He asked, setting down the tray on the only clear spot he could find on Shion’s desk. He crossed his arms as he turned back to the other Saint, watching as he pulled his hair back into a ponytail and rubbed at his eyes.

‘What kind of nightmare plagued you, my friend?’ He wondered before Shion gave him a tight smile and nodded.

“Don’t worry, I’m just getting to tidy some of this mess up before I retire for the day. It shouldn’t take me long to do. You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to either” He answered.

‘Easier said than done’ Albafica wanted to say. Instead he sighed quietly, glancing down to his hands. He wasn’t wounded, his blood was no threat and Shion showed no signs of becoming ill from being near him. That’s what he kept repeating to himself but… well decades of holding onto a belief couldn’t be changed so easily.

In the meanwhile, he could make sure the Cloth Smith didn’t work himself to the point of exhaustion again. If Shion even thought about arguing about it, he’d pull him away if he had too, Albafica decided.

“I think I would like to say” He said, looking up to see Shion smile so brightly, sending a wave of emotion over Albafica’s heart.

The Aries kept to his promise, that he just wanted to clean up some of the parts he had been working on before. A few baskets had been pulled out of a storage closets to keep each Cloths piece together, smaller fragments had been placed into cloth bags as Shion muttered to himself to “Fix that as soon as he could.”

Whatever had happened to the Cloths must have been dangerous, though Bronze Cloths were the weakest of them all, they were still strong and incredibly hard to even dent. A bitter thought entered Albafica’s mind then and he frowned.

“Shion?” He asked.

“Yes Albafica?” Shion called back, running a rag over one gauntlet, likely freshly repaired.

“What happened to the Saints that wore these Cloths? Did they fall?” He questioned, looking over to the closest one to him. It’s form in too many pieces and broken to tell which constellation it was shaped after. Many of the Bronzes he knew of, were younger, most being teens or entering their first years of true adulthood.

For a moment the only sound he heard was Shion setting down the piece of armor and picking up another. “They got caught in an ambush, but it wasn’t fatal to any. They managed to take down their attackers and returned with only bruises and cuts. His Holiness and Athena have removed them from any duties until they’re well rested and healed” he answered, tone light as it was clear he was relieved as well.

“Thank goodness for that” Albafica sighed. “What that the cause of you’re nightmare?” He asked, jerking when Shion tensed up.

“Forgive me, I didn’t mean to overstep my limit” He quickly added, lifting a hand as he shifted to move from the chair.

“No” Shion said, turning to face him “It’s alright, I don’t mind. The nightmare was…. a memory I hadn’t expected to encounter. An old one from a battle long ago.”

Albafica rose a brow at that “From long ago?”

Shion shook his head “Yes, I-I know this might sound strange but the Cloths, all of them, they carry memories of the ones that wore them. Sometimes, when I repair them, I catch glimpses of these memories.”

“It doesn’t sound strange to me” He replied. His father had told him long ago that the Cloths were alive in a way, so the idea of them carrying memories made sense. Albafica learned that truth when he asked why Pisces Cloth was constantly in a pool they had in Pisces Temple.

He also remembered fondly of how his father told him of the time Pisces had leapt out of that pool and slapped itself into his chest like a living fish out of water.

“That is…pleasant to hear, thank you Albafica” Shion blinked, as if stunned at first before his posture relaxed and his kind expression returned.

The Aries looked around him and laughed “Well, it seems I’ve finished quicker than expected yet the day is already beginning to end. We should both head off to sleep then.”

Albafica hummed in a reply and stood, turning to leave “Company as I’m learning, has an odd way of passing time quicker than anyone expects. Though I believe I have taken up much of your time, so I think I’ll return to my-“

“ _Wait_ ” Shion said, nearly shouted as he grasped the edge of Albafica’s sleeve.

He froze, sparks running down his back as he looked behind him. Shion looked away, an unknown emotion on his face. “Shion?” He asked, voice nearly cracking as he felt his heart speed up.

“I, sorry Albafica, I just…. might I ask one thing of you?” The Aries asked, voice low enough to be a whisper.

“What is it my friend?”

Shion took a breath before he looked up, locking eyes with him and said one simple sentence that nearly stopped Albafica’s heart. “Would you like to stay the night?” He asked.

His mind screamed, his heart leapt and before Albafica knew what happened he replied “Yes.”

***

His heart was pounding in his ears, even as he tried to settle it. Was it the anxiety of being so close to another person or the joy of it? How much had he wanted to simply be close to someone? Albafica couldn’t say for sure, it had been an eventful day and his thoughts were scattered to the wind. It’s was bad per say just different, very different.

From his spot, he could see Shion shift into a comfortable position in the bed, tugging up the blankets and tossing onto his side, playing with the edge of one as he bit his lip. The Aries was as nervous as himself, even with something as simple as sleeping next to each other. Albafica smiled though and wanted to chuckle at the idea of two grown warriors acting like young teens in love.

In love, they were, weren’t they?

“Are you sure you’re alright with this? I understand if you’d like to leave, you’ve done so much as it is” Shion spoke, voice low and calm. Still so pleasant to listen to and calming to Albafica’s own anxiousness.

He shook his head “I’ve made up my mind Shion, do not worry about me, I think I’ll be just fine.”

“I’d hate to ruin your own sleep Albafica or cause you anymore trouble, really I’d not be- “Shion began, sitting up on an elbow as he ran a hand through his hair.

Albafica held up a finger to his lips, quieting the other Saint just for a moment. There was a chance what he was about to do was a bad idea, but for now, just for a few hours he’d allow himself this luxury. Things had worked out so far after all and he could not bear the idea of leaving Shion to his nightmares.

So he leaned forward, feeling the warmth of Shion’s lips against his. Heat spread to his cheeks as he did and as he pulled back, Shion’s mouth was agape and his own cheeks were pink.

“There’s nothing to be scared of, okay? I’m right here” Albafica said, hoping to sooth the last parts of Shion’s worried and nightmare ridden mind.

Shion sighed, relaxing and leaning forward slightly to kiss him back, which Albafica did not refuse. The warmth in his chest and shiver down his back was too pleasant.

“You have no idea how much those words mean to hear” He whispered, one hand gently cupping one of his cheeks as settled back down on the bed, looking up with half open eyes.

There was no harm in this, Albafica swore and he wanted this too much to let any doubt stop him. His heart had ached for such things and to learn that Shion wanted this too was…incredible. This wouldn’t be the last time he’d be around Shion in such ways, he was sure of it. He knew that in their lives, in their dedication to their Goddess and to protecting the rest of humanity, what they were about to start few others considered possible. He didn’t mind though; he swore he’d enjoy every moment.

With one final look towards Shion, he leaned back against his pillow, one hand gently brushing through Shion’s hair and closed his eyes. Content to be where he was and sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed this, feel free to leave a kudo and comment!


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